About this Activity

When people think of New York, they think of famous neighborhoods and landmarks such as Wall Street, the Empire State Building, and Central Park. Did you know there is another, equally impressive, side that helped shape the city's image throughout the years? Discover the real New York on this alternative walking tour as you stroll through the streets of the Bowery and East Village. You'll visit the homes of influential poets, writers, musicians and artists who contributed to the cutting edge culture of New York City. Along the way, see street art from well-known graffiti artists, hear about tragic events that have left New Yorkers weeping, and witness inspirational community activism that keeps New Yorkers moving forward every day. You won't be able to read about these experiences in any brochure or pamphlet, but you can listen to stories from those who've experienced them firsthand on this one-of-a-kind walking tour experience.

Note: The tour meets on the Northwest corner of 2nd Ave. and East Houston St. in the East Village. A max of 5 people can book at a time as per our partner's strict group booking policy. As this tour is no cost upfront, you have the opportunity to name your price depending on how you value the tour, pay-what-you-wish tours are tours for every budget! This tour works on the honor system, so please understand that if you make a reservation and don't show up without 24 hour notice, future tours will be placed on stand-by status.

Key Highlights

Price

Free!

Duration / Session

2 hours

# Sessions

1

Rating

9 positive reviews

Cancellation Policy

Cancellation must be given at least 24 hours prior to the start of the tour. Failure to do so will result in future bookings being placed on stand-by status.

Reviews

(out of 9 votes)

Amy M.

Alternative New York TourAugust 28, 2017

Hi!

My family and I toured Harlem, NY with Taylor Marie. She was amazing!!!!!! She was really well versed on the history and culture of Harlem. She was also really down to earth and friendly which made the 2-hour tour fly by...and made you want to walk with her and hear what she had to say! Beautiful!

-Amy

Nic T.

Alternative New York TourAugust 6, 2017

My 16 year old native New Yorker and I did the street art tour and it was amazing. Our tour guide was very well versed in the history of the art, the area and the artists. I highly recommend.

Cherry W.

Alternative New York TourJuly 19, 2017

Book a 2h Free Tour by Foot for Soho-little Italy-Chinatown on 7.11.2017. Our tour guide was Tomas Delgado. He was amazing, knowledgeable, down to earth and funny. I underestimate the traffic in N.Y. and I was late. The tour started at 2pm sharp and I arrived late. I texted Tomas in advance regarding my tardiness and he was very responsive. I met with the entire 20-25 group of tourists few blocks from where we were expected to meet.

We walked pass those sites and Tomas would tell us brief history of the area, people, building and graffiti on the street we're on. He also recommend few good notable restaurants in Chinatown.

I would definitely do this again when I'm back in N.Y. or recommend it to friends.

Max Quy D.

Alternative New York TourJuly 7, 2017

Hi everyone- My wife and I so pleasant to take two tours with Free Tours by Foot.

Our tour guide name Ms. Ellen and Erik were amazing, They were all exceptional guides and acknowledged.

We enjoyed and thank you to all you had done for us.

We will recommend to our friends and the others when we go back to our home town.

Thank you again

Karen L.

Alternative New York TourJune 30, 2017

We just finished oir third tour with FTBF in 2 days. We did the Lower East Side food tour with Katherine, the Midtown Manhattan at night tour with John, and the Central Park All in One with Garrett. They were all exceptional guides. Very knowledgeable and personable. We highly recommend taking any of the Free Tours by Foot tours. It will really add quality to your trip to NYC.

Cecily W.

Alternative New York TourJune 26, 2017

I've been to similar tours in Europe, but had no idea this type of tour exists in US until a friend live in NYC told me about it. It's so good! Since they charge you nothing to begin with and looking forward to make you happy to earn tips, of course they will work so hard to provide you a wonderful tour.

You need to make reservation ahead of time to secure a spot. The night before your tour, the tour guide will email you the details about where to meet, how he/she look like and such.

It's not my first time in NYC, but the tour adds a lot to a wonderful memory this time. I took the Brooklyn Bridge Tour, and our tour guide is Nick. We started in the City Hall Park, then walked across the Brooklyn Bridge, walked around DUMBO, took a break in a chocolate shop then finished the tour at Brooklyn Heights. Nick told us so many stories about the area we would probably never know without the tour. We learned many history and how this area evolved through out the years. Nick also provided restaurant recommendations and transportation advice as the some of the subway lines were down that day.

I highly recommend this tour to visitors to NYC, no matter your are first time visitor or has been here many times, the tour is well worth it!

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